Sweet Summer

So far it has been a sweet and hot summer in the northwest. I have mentioned it just a few times. We have never had so many days in the 90s like this year before. Usually the temperatures are in the upper 70s and 80s.

In the eastern part of the state the temperatures usually are ten or more degrees hotter during the summer so I am sure they have had a record amount of days over one hundred. They are more used to it being hot over there than we do. I would prefer it to be normal temperatures.

The best part of the weather being this hot will bring tourists in. They may not realize this is not a normal occurrence though the sun is out most of the summer every year. We do have some cloudy days in the summer especially in August; however, they may only last a day or two at the most before the sun raises its head once again.

Growing up here I spent a lot of the summer on the water. During my elementary years my brothers and I were shipped out to Camp Seymour which is a YMCA camp for two week. It is not too far from Gig Harbor. I would say a half an hour or a little more. At camp we do arts and crafts, archery, and go out on the boats in the inlet; however, for us to go out on boats we would have to swim some distance to get the OK to do so. I don’t remember how far we had to swim but it was some ways that I remember. As a kid it was farther for me to go than it actually was I am sure. We would be followed by adults in a boat to be sure we were OK and would not drown. If we finished swimming the course without tiring we would then be able to go out in boats ourselves. I don’t remember whether I made it on the first try or not. I expect that it did take me a couple times to do so.

I have been back at least once as an adult to Camp Seymour for a church men’s retreat. The cabins all look about the same. The only real difference I saw was that they have rock wall that campers now can climb up. Also, they have kayaks that were not available when I was a kid. I didn’t ask but I am sure the kids still have to do the swimming course.

During my junior and senior years I was in boy scouts and we always went hiking every year in the Olympic Mountains. We did some small hikes; however, in August we always went on a fifty mile hike. It was difficult in some ways, and because we were near the rain forest it usually rained a couple days. We gave enough time though were we did not have to hike on those days it rained. We stayed in the camps and played cards along with harassing each other and having fun. Since it was fifty miles we usually hiked ten miles a day depending where we would camp out the next night.

During those summers we would work for our dad some so we would have some cash on hand to spend. We lived on the water so we would spend days sailing or rowing around as well. When I was twelve we took a trip across Canada and eastern United States. You can go back about a year and a half on this blog where I write about that trip.

I was not a big fan of school so summer time was my favorite time of the year. I am sure most kids enjoyed having the summer off. I did go to summer school a couple years but I considered more fun than anything.

I hope you are having a sweet summer yourselves. Also, it would be a joy to look back at the summers in the past. I know some families have a tradition on what they have done each summer. I hope you have those traditions yourself. If not I would recommend starting your own. Be blessed and have a great weekend.